By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 289 



magpie," in vogue in some parts, not inaptly describes its habits. 



" Eed-backed Shrike" (Lariius Co//«/7bj . Very well-known to the 

 inhabitants of Wiltshire is this bold and handsome bird, which fre- 

 quents our woods every summer : it seems to favour only the 

 Southern and Western Counties, and this is one of its most choice 

 localities : in winter it resorts to Africa, where La Vaillant has 

 described it as common. I have noticed it in many parts of the 

 county, and so has Mr. Marsh, who says that, on the downs near 

 Winterslow, he has very often heard it closely imitating the note 

 of the wheatear, which abounds there, but (he adds) he has never 

 seen it prej'ing on anything but beetles and other insects : this 

 indeed seems to be its general diet, and humble bees, grasshoppers, 

 and all kinds of flies are impaled on the bush it selects for the pur- 

 pose. It arrives in May, breeds here, and departs in September, 

 though !Mr. B. Hay ward once met with one so late as December 

 4th, which in all probability had met with some accident, and been 

 disabled from mio-ratin^: with its brethren. The male and female 

 differ greatly in colour; the former is easily distinguished from the 

 Grey shrike by its smaller size, and the chesnut red of its back 

 and wing coverts: the female and yoimg birds are reddish brown 

 above, greyish white beneath, speckled and barred with brown: it 

 is a strong active bold bird, and delights in thick woods and 

 hedgerows. 



Tliere is a third species of shrike, "the Woodchat" (Lanius 

 rutilits), which very rarely has been taken in Britain, but I believe 

 never as yet in this county, thougli I possess one in my collection, 

 wliich was killed in the adjoining county of Somerset, within a 

 short distance of Bristol: this species is common every summer in 

 Holland, but like its congener "the red- backed" retreats to Africa 

 for winter quarters : in habits too it exactly resembles the pre- 

 ceding, but is easily distinguished from it by the rich chesnut red, 

 on the crown of the head and back of the neck. 



MUSCICAPID.5^] (The Fly-catchers). 

 These have also been termed "Hawks among flies," for on sucli alone 

 do they feed, and very interesting it is to watch one of these active 

 quick biglited little birda at its almost continual employment of 



